Page 46 of The Spark that Ignites
“You can call Juno back, but I wouldn’t recommend it here.” He cupped his mouth, his voice contained, “The spirits don’t like to be disturbed.”
A symphony of colours exploded in every flower imaginable, caught in tangles of thorns and overgrown vines. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen, the magic battling with itself, one flowery and soft and the other harsh and calloused.
“What kind of spirits reside here?” Emmery asked. “You can hear them too, right?”
“I hear them. They’re those whose ashes are offered to Kahlia. When the Fallen die, their bodies are burned and ashes scattered at the Trees of Eternal Blood.” Vesper’s gloved fingersbristled the shorn hair on the side of his head. They stood close enough that Emmery could brush his arm. “My father used to tell me the spirits listen and that’s why we couldn’t discuss the secrets of our trials. That it would anger them, and they would follow us home and cut off all our hair while we slept.”
“Sounds like a great bedtime story. Wonderful parenting.”
Sadness swam in Vesper’s eyes and her stomach twisted. Had she struck a nerve?
“He was a good father. Practically a saint,” he said, the last word holding a bitterness. Respecting his earlier boundary, she didn’t press.
Emmery softly placed the question. “Is he here? Izora too?”
“My father wouldn’t be here. His body was buried, not burned. As for Izzy, she, uh ... had no release into the afterlife.” By his hardened expression, she certainly struck a nerve.
Emmery lightened her tone. “Why wouldn’t you spread his ashes on the bloody trees?”
“Trees of Eternal Blood,” he corrected. “And my father was Hollow. To burn his body would be an act against the gods, let alone scatter his ashes. For Deimos to claim their souls they must be buried. It’s the only path to an afterlife.”
Emmery pondered the overgrowth, the chaotic voices, and the quaking magic. Why were the Fallen reincarnated while the Hollow were sentenced to an afterlife? They were given no choice like their magic. But she supposed the Fallen weren’t given a choice either.
As they rounded a corner, invisible hands guided her towards the spring. She chewed her lip as the pulsing magic grew stronger. Threatening. “What else should I know?”
Vesper watched her sidelong. “You remember how I said there was a cost for everything? That magic wasn’t given freely?”
“I distinctly remember you saying I would get screwed over.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Or something along those lines.”
“That’snotwhat I said but yes, there’s a price once you complete your trial.” Vesper released a long breath as if he was breaking terrible news. “Your soul is split into four parts: the shadow, spark, reflection, and ember. The shadow represents memories, past and experiences. For you to receive the magic of the Hollow, you offer it to Deimos. The spark is the future, your ambitions and hope. Kahlia claims this for Fallen magic. The ember is however yours. Same with the reflection which is essentially your consciousness. How you see yourself.”
Emmery’s stomach sank. “And how do they take it?”
“You pledge that part of your soul and upon death it’s claimed by the god. Not that you’ll need it once you’re dead. I doubt we’ll care much then.”
Emmery frowned. She guessed he was right. If she were dead, why would she care? “What’s the ember?”
“It’s the part the gods can’t take. The essence of our beings and the center of everything. What keeps us tethered to this earth. Some call it the human part because it holds our capacity for emotion, fragility and strength of our hearts.” He kicked a rock. “It’s also the part of our soul that links us to others. Theimplexus.”
Emmery cocked a silver brow. “Implexus?”
“Gods, I sound like The Great Text of Karynthia.” He released a warm laugh. “It’s a sacred bond. Some people are lucky enough to be born with a soulmate, an ember that calls to their own. We call the bonds tethers. It’s destiny. The tethers are woven into our souls and sometimes these bonds follow through centuries if the souls are reincarnated, but that’s up to the gods. Back to the beginning of everything. But it’s a story we don’t have time for.”
“Do you have animplexus? A tethered?”
Vesper rubbed his chin. “Not that I know of. It’s said when you meet this person, you feel a tugging at your heart. That you’re inexplicably drawn to them.” A soft laugh slipped betweenhis lips. “I doubt you need to worry, Sparky. With your hatred for others.”
Emmery frowned at him. “Ass.”
“I’m not saying anything you haven’t said yourself.” Vesper raised his hands in defence. “Theimplexusonly brings people together. It doesn't guarantee anything. Not even that you’ll like or tolerate them.”
Aera dashed through a cluster of scarlet roses as they came upon the small spring, only twice Emmery’s height and width. A short marble statue of a goddess stood at a silver altar, holding a tarnished gold chalice. Her exquisite, delicate features were simultaneously fierce and frightening. The worn stone muddied the goddess’s face but as she squinted harder, Emmery couldn’t help but think it sort of looked ... likeher.
No. That was nonsense.
Emmery’s pulse quickened as they approached. The glassy dark water incited dread in her bones, and she peered over the icy edges. Gods, the water wasblack. Depthless. Panic bubbled up inside her. Vesper bumped her hip, the playful gesture disturbing her trance. She shook her head. Could she really do this?
“You’ll be great.” He turned to face her, grasping her shoulders. This time she didn’t shrink away, and his support held her together. “No pressure, but there’s a lot depending on this. Remember this is your birthright. The gods called and you’re finally answering. Have faith in yourself. You’re stronger than you think.”
